Who
wrote the first issue of The Spirit: The
New Adventuresr? (Answer at bottom
of the page)

Iced? is the
title of an unpublished Spirit story intended for
publication in an issue of The
Spirit: The New Adventures.

The story is
written by Peter Hogan, who had already penned the story
"To Silken, From Santa",
which was going to be published in The
Spirit: The New Adventures #9. Peter
has written Durham Red
and Strontium Dog
for 2000AD and several of DC's Vertigo titles, including The
Dreaming and The
Sandman Presents: Love Street.

The tale was
intended to be drawn by Charlie Adlard, but unfortunately
Kitchen Sink ceased operations before the script was sent
to Charlie. This artist is perhaps best known for his
work on the X-Files
for Topps Comics although he has also worked on several
stories for 2000AD and the excellent Astronauts
in Trouble: Space:1959 series is in
the process of being released as a trade paperback.

Earlier this year
I was fortunate enough to contact Peter, and he suggested
that I also contact Charlie to see if he would be willing
to perhaps draw an illustration to go with the script. To
my delight Charlie agreed, and this new illustration
appears below.

Iced?
is a ten page story, Peter has graciously allowed me to
publish the first two pages here. With the success of
DC's publication of The Spirit Archives I hope that it is
possible that this story will be published in the future,
to find out what Miss Case is up to...

PAGE
ONE

Panel
1.

Large panel : You
don't have to get everything in this panel, but I'm going
to describe the room in full : we're in a study or
library - the walls are lined with books, and there's one
largish window (with curtains drawn shut).

Large patterned
Persian carpet on the floor, with wooden boards visibly
extending beyond its edges. The room's only door has been
kicked in, the lock splintering the doorframe. Seated
behind an ornate desk is the slumped body of a
middle-aged businessman, a pistol in his right hand. He's
slumped forward on the desk - if you want to be gruesome,
maybe there's a small trickle of blood on the desk near
his head. In front of him on the desk is a note reading
"I'm sorry " Just those two words, at the
top of an otherwise blank sheet.

The only vital
things for this panel are that we should be looking head
on at the corpse slumped at his desk, with rows of books
visible behind him.

DOLAN (off) :
LOOKS PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD

THE SPIRIT LOGO is
formed of books on the shelves behind our victim. If we
have three shelves of books (some straight, some leaning)
you should be able to do it i.e. three books leaning
diagonally will make an 's'. The only one which might be
difficult is the 't', but maybe one volume can be
balanced on top of another - wedged in, as it were - to
make the crossbar. (This is just an idea - feel free to
disregard if you can think of something easier/better).

TITLE : ICED ?

TITLE could
possibly be formed by ink spilling from an overturned
bottle of ink on the desk, ink dripping down the desk
front. (Again, just an idea).

Panel
2.

Medium panel,
showing us the whole scene : Dolan's puffing on his pipe,
grim and authoritative ; the Spirit's pushing his hat
back and looking contemplative. Also in the room is the
victim's secretary, who's in her late twenties or early
thirties. Now, she's going to be revealed in due course
as the glamorous villainess of the piece, but here she's
in a dowdy disguise, in a frumpy tweed suit with no
make-up and her hair pulled back into a severe bun (but
don't give her glasses - my other Spirit story had the
bespectacled Silken Floss). Hand covering her mouth,
seemingly sobbing with grief. And finally, standing in
that (broken) doorway, is a uniformed cop, at ease but
alert and sombre, his hands behind his back.

DOLAN : SUICIDE, PLAIN AND SIMPLE.

SECRETARY : <
sob >.

PAGE
TWO

Panel
1.

Medium two-shot :
secretary dabbing at her eye with a lace handkerchief ;
Dolan's behind her, puzzled. To one side the Spirit is
stroking his chin, one eyebrow raised sceptically.

Similar size
two-shot : in the foreground the secretary is still
quietly sobbing ; behind her, Dolan is scratching his
head, philosophical.

SECRETARY : NO. HE WAS SUCH A < sniff
> CONSIDERATE EMPLOYER.

DOLAN : YES, WELL,
IT'S ALWAYS THE QUIET ONES

Panel
3.

Medium panel : A
rear view of Dolan escorting the secretary towards the
door, where the officer is waiting (with a kindly but
self-conscious smile) to usher her out.

DOLAN : YOU'VE
BEEN MOST HELPFUL, MISS

SECRETARY : CASE.

DOLAN : WELL,
YOU'RE FREE TO GO. JUST GIVE YOUR
DETAILS TO THE OFFICER HERE - IF WE NEED TO TALK TO YOU
AGAIN, WE'LL BE IN TOUCH.

Panel
4.

Smallish two-shot
: Spirit bending over the desk/body, examining it/them ;
Dolan shuffling towards him with hands in trouser
pockets, puffing on his pipe and glancing back at the
doorway absent-mindedly.

DOLAN : SEEMED
LIKE A NICE GIRL

SPIRIT : I
WOULDN'T BE TOO SURE ABOUT YOUR SUICIDE THEORY, DOLAN

Panel
5.

Small/medium
close-up of The Spirit. A grim half-smile.

SPIRIT : MY MONEY'S ON MURDER.

Panel
6.

Medium two-shot :
Dolan startled, jaw dropping open ; the Spirit facing,
waving his arms in the air with frustration.